Picking a Provider and F.A.Q.s
Being an Effective Advocate.
Most people can benefit from psychological services, but finding a quality provider can be a confusing experience. This is why it is important to equip yourself with information and advocate for yourself. There are a lot of different types of providers who specialize in different types of treatments. It is important to be a discriminating consumer of your available treatment options, and to find a provider you can connect and be open with. Keep in mind that providers are unique just like you are, and you may not feel like there is a good fit with every provider you speak with. This is normal. Just because you do not feel a fit with one provider does not mean that psychotherapy or even that a specific type of treatment will not work for you, it just means you will need to keep exploring your options before settling with a provider.
You can become an effective advocate for yourself or your family members by knowing what to expect when meeting with mental healthcare providers. Although psychotherapy can take time, people often begin to see signs of progress after a few months when there are clearly communicated goals and comprehensive treatment plans. Dr. V. provides a level of care in which patients feel like team members in the treatment process.
You can also become an effective advocate by asking questions and being assertive about what you need. Before you meet with a provider, consider answering the following questions: What do I want help with? If I could wave a magic wand, what would I want to be different in my life? What important qualities and characteristics do I need my provider to have to make me feel safe and supported? Then, when meeting with potential providers, you might consider asking them the following questions: What type of treatment approaches do you use? Why do you use these treatments? What populations do you usually work with? What are your goals when providing care? How do you monitor symptoms and make decisions about treatment?
What is a Clinical Psychologist?
Dr. V. is a clinical psychologist. Clinical psychologists are known for their expertise in psychological testing, their use of specialized assessment tools to gain insights for treatment planning, and their knowledge and skill in implementing evidence-based treatments. Clinical psychologists attend academic-oriented graduate training programs, but are sometimes confused with other professionals like psychiatrists who are physician specialists trained in medicine. Psychotherapy provided by clinical psychologists is well recognized as an important and powerful treatment for psychological disorders. Clinical psychologists do not prescribe medications, but frequently work with other medical providers to coordinate clinical care when individuals experience complex symptoms.
What Happens in Psychotherapy?
Psychological services can look and feel different than what many people expect based on movies and television. The first psychotherapy session is typically focused on gathering a comprehensive history of symptoms and struggles from patients and their family members. Dr. V. also collects information about an individual’s interests, social relationships, ideas, and what is going well in life, even the little things. She uses this information to know what approaches would work best for that person. Additionally, it is common for patients and their caregivers to fill out questionnaires about their experiences. Dr. V. uses this information to assess where people are stuck and what might help. During the second session, patients and family members should expect to receive information about the diagnosis and treatment plan options. Importantly, patients are actively involved in the goal-setting process and work in partnership with Dr. V.
The following sessions are spent working on goals using a variety of methods, including talking, teaching, drawing, pretending (role-playing), learning, and practicing specific strategies. There is no set number of psychotherapy sessions, but most people experience some benefit after 6-16 weekly sessions. Psychotherapy is an active process similar to meeting with a personal trainer, but for your emotions, experiences, and relationships. Psychotherapists come alongside people to be supportive while encouraging change in their lives. Dr. V. helps individuals better understand the power within themselves to live differently. Through psychotherapy, you begin to identify opportunities to step out of old patterns and discover what it might look like to be more connected to what matters.
How Will I Know if Things are Improving?
There is no magic or singular “cure” for many psychiatric conditions, and psychotherapy will not remove emotions from your life. In fact, completely getting rid of all fear and sadness from our lives is not helpful or effective. We know that improvement is being made when a person’s world opens up and they can more easily do the things that are important to them, even when experiencing strong emotions. If we wait to gain perfect control over uncomfortable emotions, we may never seize the opportunities in front of us to act in ways consistent with our goals and values. Dr. V. encourages people to change their lives by making different choices that better fit their goals while practicing self-kindness. Using validated measures and developmentally appropriate approaches, individuals from many walks of life can begin to make more space for the thoughts and behaviors that are helpful in their lives and to surf the tough emotional waves that are a normal part of being human.
Dr. V. uses specialized questionnaires throughout treatment to help measure the changes experienced by patients and noticed by their caregivers. These questionnaires provide critical insight into subtle improvements that occur as a result of psychotherapy, which may not always be obvious at first to the people receiving the treatment. Dr. V. creates space in psychotherapy to revisit collaborative treatment goals so that achievements can be celebrated and adjustments can be made. Patients are encouraged to repeatedly test what they are learning in the real world to better appreciate their treatment gains.
What are “Evidenced-based” Psychological Services?
“Evidenced-based” is a term for treatment approaches that have been developed and researched for people with a variety of emotional and behavioral experiences. These specific treatments are backed by scientific studies and continue to evolve as we learn more about the human mind and brain. Thus, Dr. V. provides psychological services based on her training in scientifically-supported psychotherapy approaches rather than current fads or hunches. Examples of these evidenced-based psychotherapies include cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT), mindfulness, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), behavioral activation, social skills training, and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT).
What are My Rights as a Patient or Parent?
Patients and their families are referred to information for the general public from the Minnesota Board of Psychology. In summary, information shared with clinical psychologists is considered protected health information (PHI) under HIPAA. Information that could be traced to particular patients will not be shared outside of affiliates of AVZ Psychology LLC unless there are special circumstances (imminent danger) or written permission is given. Patients are allowed access to their own medical records from psychological services received at AVZ Psychology LLC. Legal guardians are allowed access to medical records for minors under their care. They may not access medical records or receive treatment updates for adults (18 years old+) unless written permission is specifically granted by the patient.
Do Psychologists Want Gifts or Monetary Tips?
It is considered unethical for clinical psychologists to accept gifts of substantial monetary value from patients and their families. Instead, individuals who work with Dr. V. are encouraged to reach out directly to share when they experience victories and accomplishments. This can be as simple as a note of appreciation. These are the small but mighty gifts that Dr. V. accepts and deeply cherishes.